Home Security
From alarm systems to spy cameras, tech is transforming home surveillance
Most homeowners worry about what goes on at home when they’re away.
Whether you are leaving your children with a nanny, leaving the house unprotected on a weekend away or leaving your teenagers home alone, there are many reasons why you might want to investigate security methods to protect your home.
In the past, home security was limited to obtrusive options like a loud alarm system. Today, much more sophisticated surveillance equipment is available.
MONITORED SECURITY
One of the most tried and true methods for securing a home is choosing a monitored security service.
These systems will involve installing or using an existing security system in your home. Since security systems may not do much good while you’re out of town — it seems everyone is used to ignoring alarm sounds these days — getting a monitoring service can provide peace of mind.
If the alarm sounds while you’re out of town, the security service can notify police and get in touch with you to keep you informed.
COMPUTER PROGRAMS
Increasingly, home security is becoming a high-tech field, and many computer programs exist to help you keep an eye on your home while you’re away.
The simplest ones use a webcam on your computer to let you see your home from afar. You can point the computer’s camera toward your living room, for example, to see that no one has stolen your television. They may also be able to sense motion, record intruders and save the video for you — and police — to review later if necessary.
More sophisticated systems can digitally record video from multiple cameras to keep your entire home safe while you’re out of town. You may even be able to log in remotely using the Internet to review what’s happening at your home.
SPY TOOLS
For the everyday homeowner, there are many small and easily concealed surveillance tools which can also be useful in protecting your home.
Spy cameras are small video cameras that can be concealed in everyday objects around your home and either save their images for you to look at later or send their images to a computer somewhere else.
By using a spy camera, you can review what happened at your home while you were away or keep an eye on the house from afar while you are gone. The camera can be hidden so other people in the house will not notice it.
If you would like to hear what is going on in your home while you are not around, remote audio may be right for you. A microphone can also be hidden in any room of your house and record noise for you to listen simultaneously or later.
Either option will allow you to observe what is going on in your home while you can’t be there. Both cameras and audio recording devices can be found in electronics stores and online.
For a small price, home surveillance can buy you peace of mind.